British courtier Edward de Vere, seventeenth Earl of Oxford (1550–1604), was an accomplished sixteenth–century English poet and literary patron as well as an official and member of the court of Elizabeth I. Some critics believe that he was also the author of plays attributed to William Shakespeare.
De Vere, these critics have argued, makes a much more believable author of the famous series of plays because of his birth, breeding, and familiarity with foreign literature and events. Since Shakespeare was the son of an illiterate glove maker in the small village of Stratford–upon–Avon, critics have stated that he did not have the education or the experience to compose the plays that are attributed to him. De Vere, on the other hand, had both the education and the experience. He also encouraged the careers of other writers, most notably John Lyly, who served as his personal secretary for some years.
De Vere was, in his earlier years was a favorite at court, where he seems to have mostly lived when young. At 25, he undertook a tour of France, Germany and Italy in 1575 and was abroad for some sixteen months. The Earl flirted with Catholicism but in late 1580 he denounced a group of Catholic friends to the Queen, accusing them of treasonous activities and asking her mercy for his own, now repudiated, Catholicism. He was retained under house arrest for a short time and, following the birth to Anne Vavasour of an illegitimate child fathered by him in 1581 (Sir Edward Vere), was briefly in the Tower of London.
The birth of this child led to a long-running feud with Sir Thomas Knyvett, uncle of Anne Vavasour, which resulted in the deaths of three followers of De Vere and Knyvett as well as injury to both men. During the early 1580s it is likely that the Earl lived mainly at one of his Essex country houses, Wivenhoe, but this was sold in 1584. After this it is probable that he followed the court again and passed some time in his one remaining London house. Both William Webbe (A Discourse of English Poetrie, 1586) and George Puttenham (The Arte of English Poetrie, 1589) ranked him first among Elizabeth's courtier poets, and some two dozen poems are signed or ascribed to De Vere in manuscript or published form. De Vere's poetry first appeared in the 1576 publication of The Paradise of Dainty Devices, then in The Arte of English Poetrie (1589), The Phoenix Nest (1593), England's Helicon (1600) and England's Parnassus (1600). In 1622, Henry Peacham (The Complete Gentleman) would list De Vere as first among the poets of the Elizabethan period. Edward de Vere, unlike Shakespeare, was a child of privilege and a member of the traditional English aristocracy. He was born on April 2, 1550, at Castle Hedingham, in Essex County, England, into a family of distinguished lineage. De Vere was given the title Lord Bulbeck at birth, and he inherited the family earldom of Oxford upon his father's death in 1562. He was well educated. He received degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge and studied law at Gray's Inn. He also was traveled a lot, having spent time in Europe in both Italy and the Netherlands. He was also associated with many prominent sixteenth century figures, most notably Lord Treasurer William Cecil, Lord Burghley. By the time de Vere died on June 24, 1604, at his home in Newington, Middlesex, he had served as Lord Great Chamberlain (a largely ceremonial office) to Elizabeth I and to James I, and he had fathered a single son and heir. He also left behind a reputation as one of the most celebrated early Elizabethan courtier poets—a reputation that, in the 1920s, would lead the schoolmaster J. Thomas Looney to decide that de Vere must have written the plays attributed to William Shakespeare. Since then, supporters of the Looney thesis, known as "Oxfordians", have clashed with Shakespeare supporters, known as "Stratfordians", over the question of authorship. The only biography of Edward de Vere was written in 1928 by Bernard M. Ward. In 1920 the Earl of Oxford was put forward as the true author of the works of William Shakespeare by J. Thomas Looney in his Shakespeare Identified in Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. In 1975, the Encyclopedia Britannica (15th edition) commented that, "Edward de Vere became in the 20th century the strongest candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare's plays."
Is Edward De Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, the real Shakespeare?
Proof that he is in fact Shakespeare:
De Vere had aristocratic knowledge of the upper classes. Italy and the law required a prerequisite level of education of the royal courts. He graduated from Cambridge University at 14 years-old and became a master of art at 16 year-old. It is clearly stated that De Vere had a wide-ranging library showing his qualifications to write as proficiently as Shakespeare. He is known of traveling to Italy during the 1570s giving him the possibility of writing proficiently about Venice, in The Merchant Of Venice and Othello.
De Vere’s poetry is very similar structurally to Shakespeare’s. The six-line pentameter stanzas in Venus and Adonis are only in De Vere’s early poetry, but aren’t repeated by other poets during the time of Shakespeare.
People have suggested that De Vere wrote under the pen name “Shakespeare” to avoid going against the aristocrats publishing poetry and plays, as well as to protect himself for being punished for what he wrote about.
De Vere is known of composing, directing and acting in plays at the same time as Shakespeare. He was part of an acting troupe, “Oxford’s Boys,” similar to Shakespeare. He was also a leaseholder of the Blackfriars Theatre, rival of The Globe.
It has been suggested that Edward and Hamlet have great similarities about their life, that Hamlet could have been an autobiography of De Vere. Polonius’ line “young men falling out at tennis” is believed to refer to De Vere’s tennis court squabble with Sidney. As well De Vere’s father-in-law, William Cecil, Lord Burghley, is portrayed by Polonius, and only someone with knowledge of Lord Burghley could portray this character.
Historically, De Vere is the only one that fits the statement from Sonnet 125, that Shakespeare “bore the canopy” over Queen Elizabeth during her celebration after the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
There are also parallels between De Vere and the plot of Henry IV, Part One. In 1573, De Vere and his friends constantly played practical jokes on unfortunate travelers on the same road as did Prince Hal in the play.
Other parallels between De Vere’s life and the sonnets are in De Vere’s poem “Anne Vavasor’s Echo,” for Anne Vavasor, is possibly the “dark lady” of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
De Vere had a nickname that was similar to Shakespeare's name, “Spear-Shaker.” He had this nickname because of his skill at tournaments and his coat of arms featured a lion flaunting a spear. De Vere also lived in the same area as Shakespeare.
Why Edward De Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, is NOT the real Shakespeare?
Proof that he is in fact not Shakespeare:
Edward De Vere died too early to be Shakespeare. Edward De Vere died in 1604, this was before 12 plays of Shakespeares' were composed.
An argument used to prove Edward De Vere was Shakespeare was he used a non de plume to avoid breaking the aristocratic convention not to write. The failure in this argument though is Edward De Vere had no need to write under a nom de plume, or in other words a fake name to protect himself. Aristocrats such as Edward De Vere himself published without out fear of the convention, because the convention wasn't really punished more frowned upon. This argument only further worsened during the Elizabethan age were it wasn't an issue at all.
Recent studies have shown that their are little to no similarities between the writings of Shakespeare, and that of De Vere's.
Many scholars view De Vere's poetry as mediocre, and not capable of writing Shakespeare's poetry.
A student at oxford, named William Basse, wrote a poem in 1620 that mentioned the author Shakespeare dying in 1616 (the same year the William Shakespeare who lived in Stratford died).
The fact that William Shakespeare's name appears on the poems and plays, and that the William Shakespeare that lived in Stratford was known as a well known writer does not help De Vere's case.
In 1598 Francis Meres named the Shakespeare who lived in Stratford as a play writer and poet describing him exactly as the Shakespeare.
When contemporaries referred to Shakespeare they used the title he was given, gentleman. This title was used in official documents that identifies the William Shakespeare the actor as William Shakespeare the author.
All About Edward De Vere
British courtier Edward de Vere, seventeenth Earl of Oxford (1550–1604), was an accomplished sixteenth–century English poet and literary patron as well as an official and member of the court of Elizabeth I. Some critics believe that he was also the author of plays attributed to William Shakespeare.
De Vere, these critics have argued, makes a much more believable author of the famous series of plays because of his birth, breeding, and familiarity with foreign literature and events. Since Shakespeare was the son of an illiterate glove maker in the small village of Stratford–upon–Avon, critics have stated that he did not have the education or the experience to compose the plays that are attributed to him. De Vere, on the other hand, had both the education and the experience. He also encouraged the careers of other writers, most notably John Lyly, who served as his personal secretary for some years.
De Vere was, in his earlier years was a favorite at court, where he seems to have mostly lived when young. At 25, he undertook a tour of France, Germany and Italy in 1575 and was abroad for some sixteen months. The Earl flirted with Catholicism but in late 1580 he denounced a group of Catholic friends to the Queen, accusing them of treasonous activities and asking her mercy for his own, now repudiated, Catholicism. He was retained under house arrest for a short time and, following the birth to Anne Vavasour of an illegitimate child fathered by him in 1581 (Sir Edward Vere), was briefly in the Tower of London.
The birth of this child led to a long-running feud with Sir Thomas Knyvett, uncle of Anne Vavasour, which resulted in the deaths of three followers of De Vere and Knyvett as well as injury to both men. During the early 1580s it is likely that the Earl lived mainly at one of his Essex country houses, Wivenhoe, but this was sold in 1584. After this it is probable that he followed the court again and passed some time in his one remaining London house.
Both William Webbe (A Discourse of English Poetrie, 1586) and George Puttenham (The Arte of English Poetrie, 1589) ranked him first among Elizabeth's courtier poets, and some two dozen poems are signed or ascribed to De Vere in manuscript or published form. De Vere's poetry first appeared in the 1576 publication of The Paradise of Dainty Devices, then in The Arte of English Poetrie (1589), The Phoenix Nest (1593), England's Helicon (1600) and England's Parnassus (1600). In 1622, Henry Peacham (The Complete Gentleman) would list De Vere as first among the poets of the Elizabethan period.
Edward de Vere, unlike Shakespeare, was a child of privilege and a member of the traditional English aristocracy. He was born on April 2, 1550, at Castle Hedingham, in Essex County, England, into a family of distinguished lineage. De Vere was given the title Lord Bulbeck at birth, and he inherited the family earldom of Oxford upon his father's death in 1562. He was well educated. He received degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge and studied law at Gray's Inn. He also was traveled a lot, having spent time in Europe in both Italy and the Netherlands. He was also associated with many prominent sixteenth century figures, most notably Lord Treasurer William Cecil, Lord Burghley.
By the time de Vere died on June 24, 1604, at his home in Newington, Middlesex, he had served as Lord Great Chamberlain (a largely ceremonial office) to Elizabeth I and to James I, and he had fathered a single son and heir. He also left behind a reputation as one of the most celebrated early Elizabethan courtier poets—a reputation that, in the 1920s, would lead the schoolmaster J. Thomas Looney to decide that de Vere must have written the plays attributed to William Shakespeare. Since then, supporters of the Looney thesis, known as "Oxfordians", have clashed with Shakespeare supporters, known as "Stratfordians", over the question of authorship.
The only biography of Edward de Vere was written in 1928 by Bernard M. Ward. In 1920 the Earl of Oxford was put forward as the true author of the works of William Shakespeare by J. Thomas Looney in his Shakespeare Identified in Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. In 1975, the Encyclopedia Britannica (15th edition) commented that, "Edward de Vere became in the 20th century the strongest candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare's plays."
Is Edward De Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, the real Shakespeare?
Proof that he is in fact Shakespeare:Edward De Vere, the real Shakespeare?
Why Edward De Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, is NOT the real Shakespeare?
Proof that he is in fact not Shakespeare: